ORLANDO, Fla. – June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month.
One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia and can have a devastating impact on both patients and their loved ones. But what if you could lower your risk of Alzheimer’s just by eating the right foods?
More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, a disease that robs them of memory and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Now researchers are finding what you eat may have an impact on your risk for developing this brain disease.
“If you eat the right diet, you can reduce that risk,” states Hariom Yadav, PhD.
Scientists are finding a person’s gut health may influence their risk of Alzheimer’s. In a recent study, rats with gut bacteria from people with Alzheimer’s performed worse on memory tests and had higher levels of inflammation in the brain suggesting gut health and brain health may be connected.
“The people who eat the right diet has the better bugs propagated in their gut right now,” says Yadav
One diet that’s received recent attention is the mind diet. It’s a combination of the popular Mediterranean diet and the dash diet.
Early studies show it lowers Alzheimer’s risk by 53 percent in those who follow it closely and by 35 percent in those who follow it more loosely. The mind diet promotes 10 food groups: green leafy veggies, other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine in moderation.
Healthy foods that could also benefit your brain. The mind diet limits red meat, butter, margarine, cheese, pastries, sweets, fried food, and fast food.